Am aerial view of a sinkhole on the pitch and flooded walkways at the Cherry Red Records Stadium, home of AFC Wimbledon in London, Monday, Sept. 23, 2024, after heavy rainfall. (Jordan Pettitt/PA via AP)

Soccer pitch collapses as parts of the UK are hit by flash floods

LONDON (AP) — A soccer pitch in London collapsed and other parts of the United Kingdom were submerged by flash floods Monday after some areas saw a month’s worth of rainfall in 24 hours.

Roads were closed, some train lines in London were suspended and dozens of people reported their houses being submerged as parts of central and southern England saw about 60 to 80 millimeters (2 to 3 inches of rainfall. A few locations were expected to be hit by more than 120 mm (4.7 inches) of rain, weather forecasters said.

In the capital, the London Fire Brigade said emergency responders received some 350 flood-related calls. The service said these included rescuing people trapped in cars, assisting people from their homes and responding to flooding in underground train stations, roadways, homes and businesses.

At the Cherry Red Records Stadium, AFC Wimbledon’s soccer pitch, heavy rains appeared to have left a sinkhole in the pitch, resulting in the cancellation of a match scheduled on Tuesday.

An aerial view of a sinkhole on the pitch and flooded walkways at the Cherry Red Records Stadium, home of AFC Wimbledon, in London, Monday, Sept. 23, 2024, after heavy rainfall. (Jordan Pettitt/PA via AP)
A view of an open boot of a car visible, submerged in flood water after heavy rainfall, on the A421 in Marston Moretaine, Bedfordshire, England, Monday, Sept. 23, 2024, as parts of Britain have been struck by flash floods. (Joe Giddens/PA via AP)
An aerial view of the sinkhole on the pitch at the Cherry Red Records Stadium, the home of soccer team AFC Wimbledon in south west London, Monday Sept. 23, 2024. (Joe Giddens/PA via AP)
A person shelters from the rain in a flooded underpass by Lawrence Hill Roundabout, Bristol, England, Monday Sept. 23, 2024. (Ben Birchall/PA via AP)

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